International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJRIAS) |Volume VI, Issue V, May 2021|ISSN 2454-6194

Community-based Ecotourism Potential: A Case Study of Sankana Slave Caves in -Kaleo

District of ,

Cornelius K.A. Pienaah1*, Bruno Berewono2, Danganaa Mahama3, Jane Akanzum4 1Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Environment and Sustainability Sciences, University for Development Studies, Ghana 2Faculty of Integrated Development Studies, Department of Social and Development Administration, Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies, Ghana 3Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Environment and Sustainability Sciences, University for Development Studies, Ghana 4College of Art and Built Environment, Department of Planning, Kwame Nkrumah University for Science and Technology, Ghana *Corresponding Author

Abstract: A major feature of the Upper West Region is its ancient „purposeful travel to natural areas to understand the culture caves. The caves found in Sankana, Bulenga and Dahili, were and natural history of the environment, taking care not to alter places of refuge for the inhabitants who were fleeing the slave the integrity of the ecosystem, while producing economic raiders. Slave Camps can be found at Pizaga and Dolbizon and opportunities that make the conservation of natural resources Slave market at Kassana and in the Upper East and beneficial to local people (OMT, 2014, p. 15‟ cited in Yasu C. Savannah Regions respectively. The study explored on the potential, strategies as well as effects of developing the Sankana Martinez and Mara Rosas Baños). Slave Caves as an ecotourism destination in light of the main In general, ecotourism provides many jobs to Ghanaians and pillars of sustainable development (economic, social/cultural, and has enormous potential as a catalyst for future economic and environmental). The study adopted a mixed method approach. social development throughout the entire West African Questionnaires and FGD guides were employed to solicit views from participants. The study revealed that, the community Regions. According to Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA, members fully embraced the idea of ecotourism development in 2018), the tourism industry maintained its position as the 4th the community with emphasis that the slave caves development highest foreign exchange earner for the country after cocoa, would serve as tool for poverty alleviation and livelihood gold and oil & gas. International arrivals increased by 5% enhancement through income generation related activities. Also, from 980,141 persons in 2017 to 1,029,148.05 in 2018 while there would be an increase in tourists spending due to the direct corresponding receipts increased by 5.1 % from US$1,854.8 sell of pottery, calabash art, wood, grass art, leather art, smock million in 2017 to US$1,947.5 million contributing 4.9% to weaving, guest homes, food vending as well increase the cultural GDP. In terms of employment there was an increase in total capital of the community. A three-prong strategy modelled on number of jobs (direct & indirect jobs) created by the tourism educative and, entertainment approach, and the use of tour operators were identified as strategies to attract tourists to the sector from 550,000 in 2017 to 602,425 in 2018. Out of which site. This study has made contributions to how community direct jobs provided by the tourism sector rose from 135,000 ecotourism development can be used as a strategic tool for in 2017 to 158,231 in 2018. Ecotourism however, has become poverty alleviation as in the case of Sankana slave caves in the a competitive business for tourism destinations all over the Kaleo- in the Upper West Region. world. Competitive advantage is no longer natural, but Keywords: Ecotourism, Economic effect, Environmental effect, increasingly man made, driven by science, technology Slave Caves, Socio-cultural effect, Sustainable development. information and innovation. As such it is not simply the stock of natural resources of Ghana that will determine her share in I. INTRODUCTION the tourism market, but rather how these resources are cotourism is the practice of traveling to relatively less managed and integrated with other competences to create a E exploited natural destinations to appreciate the natural competitive advantage for sustainable tourism. This settings, acquire knowledge about wildlife, and enjoy local phenomenon is not different in the Upper West Region. This cultures in authentic settings while conserving the deserves not only the attention of the Nadowli-Kaleo and the environments of the destinations (Wallace, 2019, Lee & Jan, tourism institutions, but also concerns of corporate 2019). The significant features of ecotourism include the organizations and individuals to find a lasting solution to the enrichment of nature as well as promoting local cultures, challenge. traditions and lifestyles in order to attract travelers to visit an Eco-tourism in the Low- and Middle-Income Countries area (Cobbinah, 2015; Fleischer, 2010). It is also defined as (LMICs) has great potentials in raising living standards in

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rural areas because the customer comes to the product creating approximately 14km from Wa, the regional capital. The opportunities for direct sell, social interaction including other people are largely Dagaabas, Christians, traditional believers benefits like donations to communities. It is not surprising that and Muslims, and speaks the Dagaari language. Personal the Millennium Development Goals (MDG‟s) identified observation indicates that farming is the main source of tourism development as a significant contributor to poverty livelihood followed by Pito brewing and fishing. The total alleviation. Tourism, one of the world's top job creators and a population of the Upper West Region is 702,110, with lead export sector, especially for Low- and Middle-Income Sankana having a total population of 2,639 (Ghana Statistical Countries (LMICs) countries, can play a significant role in the Service (GSS), 2012). According to the 2010 Population and achievement of MDGs 1 - eradication of poverty, MDG 3 - Housing Census (PHC), the Nadowli-Kaleo District has a total gender equality, MDG 7- environmental sustainability and population of 61,561 (GSS, 2012). Going by the international MDG 8 - global partnerships for development. Tourism has standard for the definition of an urban settlement, which the potential to contribute, directly or indirectly to all of the defines an urban community as any community with a Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In particular, it has population of 5,000 or more, many of the communities under been included as targets in Goals 8, 12 and 14 on inclusive the District, including Sankana has not attained an urban and sustainable economic growth, sustainable consumption status. The community lies in the guinea savannah agro- and production (SCP) and the sustainable use of oceans and ecological zone with surrounded scenic rock formations marine resources, respectively. covering a four sq.km area. Under this rock formation is a network of caves, which served as bunkers for protection Tourists to Ghana are welcomed by an array of tourist against slave raiders. Sankana is popular throughout Ghanaian attractions across the country including the Independence history for its rock formation network of caves. The Sankana Arch, Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, the European Forts and community has an almost entirely rolling topography. The Castles among a host of others. In the Upper West Region, height of the land is generally between 275m and 300m above apart from the Sankana Slaves caves if developed, tourists can sea level, except eastwards of Wa where the land rises above also visit the slave defense walls, the 18th century 300m above sea level. The community has a large irrigation mosque of Nakori, the Kwame Nkrumah detention camp at dam which serves for both industrial and domestic purposes, , and the hippo sanctuary as well as the Wa fishing, farming and others. An important characteristic of this Naa‟s palace all in the Upper West Region among others. dam is it‟s continues flow. The source of water supply for the Over the years, ecotourism development has been problematic dam is rainfall. in the Upper West Region of Ghana. One potential ecological 2.2 Method. attraction which has been given no attention is the Sankana slave caves in the Upper West Region of Ghana. The study adopted a mixed method approach. On quantitative method, a questionnaire was designed and administered to On the basis of this, the study intends to examine the full find out the potential economic, socio-cultural and potentials of the Sankana Slave Caves as tool for environmental effects of ecotourism in the community. Two- environmental, socio-cultural, and economic benefits which hundred (200) respondents were accidentally interviewed for constitute the three principles of sustainable development and the quantitative analysis. On the other hand, a qualitative explore strategies and recommendations in sustainable method, including seven (7 Focus Group Discussion (FGD) ecotourism development in the Upper West Region. participants (key stakeholders) were identified through the II. METHODOLOGY opinions of the 200 participants in the survey. A discussion was moderated and transcribed on their views concerning the 2.1 Study Area. potentials, strategies and effects of the cave‟s development as The Nadowli-Kaleo District is centrally located in the Upper ecotourism destination. The roles were also assessed in West region of Ghana. It lies between latitude 100 201 and relation to the slave caves development. The identification of 110 301 North and longitude 31 101 and 21 10 1 West. It is key stakeholders was based on purposive sampling. bordered to the South by Wa Municipal, West by Burkina Secondary data were obtained from journals and reports to Faso, North by Jirapa and Districts and to the East support this study. Articles were searched for on google by the Daffiama-Bussie-Issa District. The Nadowli-Kaleo scholar, Sage Journals, research gate, frontiers and Francis District, with a territorial size of 1,132.02 km2 extends from and Taylor journal pages using key words and phrases such as the Billi Bridge (4km from Wa) to the Dapuori Bridge (almost “Cultural effect‟‟. „„Ecotourism‟‟, „„Environmental effect‟‟, 12km from Jirapa) on the Wa-Jirapa Hamile road. From West „„Economic effect‟‟, „„Slave Caves‟‟, „„Social effect‟‟ and to East, it extends from the Black Volta to Daffiama (Ghana „„Sustainable development‟‟. Documents reviewed were Statistical Service, 2012). Geographically, the study is limited selected after reading their abstract or a preliminary reading of to the Sankana community located in the Nadowli-Kaleo full document in order to assess the suitability to be used for District. It shares boundaries to the West by Gyili, to the East this study. Research articles from 1996 to 2019 were reviewed by Kuluri, the North by Chawe and South by Samatigu (Issifu, in this study. The primary search identified 53 publications Antwi, Kwofie, Quarshie & Mustapha, 2013). It is whose titles discussed Ecotourism development. The

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secondary screening based on abstract identified 21 relevant the responses indicated that the site is in good condition for references. Nineteen (19) articles met the inclusion criteria for tourism activities. It was also revealed that the caves are still the tertiary, full-text review and were included in the study. in their natural state and are free from anthropogenic pollution sources. According to an insight from the FGD, tree planting III. RESULTS around the site will help beautify the caves and their 3.1 Gender, Age and Educational distributions of surroundings. The study also indicated that 56.3% of the Respondents. respondents believed that, most tourists are likely not to generate waste in the community. However, possible waste Out of two hundred (200) respondents who responded to the type that could be generated by tourists are; human questionnaires, 109 respondents were females while 91 excreta/urine, plastics, food waste, clothing and littering of respondents were male. With reference to ages of the newspapers. respondents, information gathered indicates that most of the respondents (33%) were between the ages of 31-40, 24% (41- 3.5: Key Stakeholders in Sankana slave caves management 50 years), 23% (18-30 years), 12% (51-60 years) and 8% (60+ and some challenges of ecotourism development in the years). Majority of respondents (about 51%) have attained community. some level of education and 49% of them had no formal Interview conducted revealed that the key stakeholders in education. The other seven (7) FGDs participants included six Sankana potential community-based ecotourism are the Chief, (6) males and one (1) female. Only two males among them chief linguist, Tindaana (land owner), Youth and Women were educated to tertiary level. groups representatives, Nadowli-Kaleo district assembly and 3.2 Main Economic Activities in Sankana community. the Assembly member of the community. Startup capital was identified as the main challenge to develop the caves. The The main income generating activities in Sankana community role of the Nadowli-Kaleo district assembly in the identified from the study included; pito brewing (22%), development of the Sankana slave caves were identified as; fishing (8%), food vending (14%), petty trading/super markets (13%), transportation (10%), Shea butter extraction (11%), • The Nadowli-Kaleo district assembly together with drinking spots (9%) and cakes selling (13%). Women engaged the Ghana Tourism Authority should organize in these activities were 78% against 22% of males in the capacity building training workshops for the tour Sankana community apart from farming related businesses. guides and people of the area specifically involved in These activities serve as a source of livelihood enhancement tourism. This will empower the indigenes with the in the community. The study also revealed some income requisite knowledge and skills to handle tourists once generating opportunities that would be established as to attract they patronize the slave caves in the community. and increase tourist spending in the community. According to • Help with the creation and raising of awareness of the study, accommodation facility (15%), pottery (19%), the Sankana slaves‟ caves as a major ecotourism gourd and calabash art (12%), leather art (16%), wood carving destination in the district. They can do this by (14%), smock weaving (13%) and grass art (11%) were working with the media and, through online portals, identified as the income generating activities to increase let tourists know how the slave caves helped pre- tourist spending. Interestingly, tour guides, security personnel, colonial Ghanaians in the Sankana enclave escape women-cleaners were also revealed as potential jobs for the slavery. locals. • The local assembly through their internally generated funds could build some facilities in the area that will 3.3: Socio-cultural Activities in Sankana community attract tourists. Facilities such as restaurants, motels, According to (Ghosh, 2000), variation of culture is the sheds among others could be constructed as ways of bedrock of tourism that influence visitation. Sankana making it convenient for tourists who come to the community has many cultural activities the study revealed that community. community members can perform to tourist. Kalibe festival • They can also help with the supervision and (15%), Naming ceremonies/Birth rites (8%), Funeral/Death collection of revenue to prevent theft of revenue at rites (9%) Dugu dance (18%), Bawaa dance (14%), Damba the site. dance (12%), Folklore (8%), Singing (10%), and Marriage • Also, the role of the community in fostering the rites (8%) were the main socio-cultural activities community growth of the slave caves were identified as; members are willing and would be able to perform to entertain • To boost environmental and ecological development tourist. of the area, the chief and his subjects should undertake a tree planting exercise around the area. 3.4: Environmental developments in the Sankana community. The exercise will serve the dual purposes of According to the survey conducted, (69%) of the community providing shade and beautifying the environment members have visited the Slave caves and indicated that the thereby making it conducive for tourists and locals to site is in good condition in terms of physical structure. Out of relax during the scorch dry season. the 200 total respondents for the quantitative study, (45.9%) of • The community can also organize weekly clean-up

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exercises around the slave caves to ensure the place their languages, religion, culture, dress and behavior have an is neat to welcome visitors. This to a large extent will impact on them. Ghosh (2000) said variation of culture is the make the place suitable for tourisms activities. bedrock of attracting visitation. However, Sankana is one such • The community can also make the slave caves a community with so many cultural activities including Kalibe major regional ecotourism hub by ensuring the safety festival, Bawaa dance, Dugu dance, Damba dance, Birth rites, of tourists and fully engaging tourists in the Death rites, Folklore, singing and marriage rites among others celebration of traditional dances and festivals that could attract tourists aside the slave caves. These whenever they come to the community to visit. activities were identified through questionnaire and focus Group discussion conducted. It revealed that, the community IV. DISCUSSION members could perform some of these activities to the visitors 4.1 Economic effects of potential ecotourism development in more especially Dugu dance, Bawaa dance and the singing of Sankana. local songs. It was also realized that, more death rites are celebrated than birth rites. Employment opportunities abound with the development of the slave caves. The development and full operationalization Apart from that, it was revealed that the visitors could of the Sankana Slaves Caves will create employment for participate in the cultural activities that the community security men/women, tour guides, cleaners and other laborers members offer to them. This according to the community required to keep the place decent. The development will also members has an effect on their culture and living in terms of help promote the growth of local businesses such as socialization, unity and development, promotion of their restaurants, motels, local craft works among a host of others. culture, income generation as the positive effects. Negatively As these businesses grow, they will employ many more however, the youth of the community could be influenced to people thereby significantly helping to reduce the learn the wrong dress patterns from some tourists or unemployment situation in the community and unleashing the something similar thereby increasing the possibility of entrepreneurial potential of the community. Incomes immoral lifestyles in the community. Again, the fact that some generated from local businesses in Sankana will help in tourists openly display their wealth can expose some tourists poverty alleviation. These activities serve as a source of to theft in the community. The culture of the destination is livelihood enhancement opportunities and is in consonance itself a tourist attraction and tourism should always respect with Asherly et al. (2001) that ecotourism activities generate cultures. Tourism should always preserve the culture. (Bhatt income to the host community and also further confirms 2006). Ghana Tourism Board (1996), statement that income from 4.3 Environmental effects of ecotourism as identified in the ecotourism activities serves as a means of poverty alleviation Sankana community. in rural areas in Ghana. However, the results indicate that pito brewing is the main local business in Sankana and beer Eco-tourists are fond of enjoying nature, culture and its drinking spots as the least among all the identified economic development, supporting local communities during their visit activities in the community. It was also revealed that many to the site. Ecotourism operators and other tourism lobbyists visitors will prefer to enjoy pito and cakes the most when they have argued that ecotourism always generates benefits and visit the site. supports the conservation of the destination/site. The protected areas are significant for the development of tourism From FGDs and field observation, it was realized that there in a place. are many economic activities that can be set-up in Sankana community to increase tourist spending, aside what currently This study assessed the environmental effects of ecotourism at exist. According to the survey conducted from various the site and the community. Negative effects are always respondents, accommodation facility, pottery, guard and connected to the natural resources, local culture and calabash art, leather art, wood carving, smock weaving and disturbance by ecotourism in their development whereas grass art were identified as the economic activities to increase positive effects have always been analyzed from the eyes of visitor spending. This figure represents the responses of locals benefits provided to the destination in different form such as as suggested to increase the spending of tourist dollar for conservation of the destination, economic, social and cultural improving the living standards of the people in the community development of the local communities related to the site. and creating a multiplier effect also. The study revealed that, In this section of the study, it was identified that very little visitor spending would increase through the access to pottery, waste could be generated by tourists at both the site and the accommodation facility, leather art/work, wood carving and community. It is also known that the physical structures of the smock weaving. caves are in good condition for tourism activities. The 4.2 Socio-cultural effects of ecotourism development in environmental effects of the ecotourism development in the Sankana community. Sankana community were assessed based on the pollution level of visitors that might pose nuisance to visitation and the In the tourism industry, people come from different cultures physical structures of the caves. Both personal observation and meet at a destination. At the meeting in the destination, and interview were used to assess these effects.

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4.4 Strategies to attracting tourists to the Sankana slave developed into a local beach where tourists after visiting the caves. slave caves can come back to relax at the beach, enjoy nature and reflect. It also has a well tarred road connecting from To ensure viability of the Sankana Slave Caves, the study Kaleo to the community which makes it easy for tourists to propose three main strategies of attracting tourists to the get to the community without stress. Sankana Slaves Caves as an ecotourism potential in the Upper West Region modelled on educative and entertainment The combination of education and entertainment will go a approach and the use of tour operators. large extent to attract people to the community thereby helping to develop the full potential of the Sankana Slaves Educative in the sense that, many students in Senior High caves. To this end, restaurants, drinking avenues, building of Schools and tertiary institutions across the various regions of motels and sheds and general places of recreation should be Northern Ghana study The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade as a created along the area to help attract tourists. This will help topic in either Social Studies or History class but have never speed up the development of the community, provide source seen any slave cave nor have any emotional or personal of local taxation to the local assembly and keep Sankana as a appreciation of slavery nor survival strategies of pre-colonial major ecotourism site in the Upper West Region. Ghanaians during the period of the slave trade. Unlike much of Southern Ghana where students can easily go to the Cape The third strategy for attracting tourists is based on a close Coast Castle to see how slaves were treated in Pre-Colonial collaboration between the local assembly, the community and times, the Northern regions are deprived of this personal and registered tour operators. The district assembly could liaise emotional attachment to the history of their forebears. The with tour operators to organized tours to the slave caves as a study therefore suggests that, the Sankana slaves‟ caves be way of giving exposure and facilitating the development of developed and every year students in both High Schools and the place as a major tourist destination in the Nadowli-Kaleo Tertiary Institutions across the three regions of the North be district. The assembly can negotiate favorable terms of allowed to visit the site at least once on educational field trips. conditions with the tour companies as a way of attracting Educated tour guides will adequately brief them on how their them to the slave caves. forebears were captured and treated as slaves and how some 4.5 Insights from FGD with key stakeholders. escaped slavery by hiding in the slave caves. They will have the privilege of asking questions and taking notes for further A Focus Group Session was held with the leadership of the study of slavery as it relates most especially in the Upper West community comprising the Chief of the community, Chief Region. linguist, Tindaana (land owner) the assembly member and some religious, youth and women leaders. Insights gathered To achieve this, the leadership of the community together with from the discussions revealed that the leadership of the the Nadowli-Kaleo District Assembly should hold a community were willing to partner temporarily to provide stakeholder consultative dialogue with Heads of Schools in shelter, water and other needs to visitors who wish to spend the region to brief them on the significance of the Sankana their night in the community. They also expressed the Slaves Caves as an escape point during the era of the slave willingness to foster peace and unity in the community and trade and why they must ensure students get to undertake a between visitors. visit to the site as an educative trip. The potential benefits of having students across the Northern zone visiting per semester Again, they expressed the willingness to organize clean up alone will boost the growth and development of the Slave campaigns at the site and engage tour guides to manage the Caves. These educational trips will have immediate and long- site. According to the FGD, the Tindaana (land owner) plays a term effects. The immediate impact will be the acquisition of special role of consulting the community gods on issues knowledge and sense of fulfilment the students will gain from relating to the site. The assembly member serves as a link the trip. The long-term impact will be seen in students between the whole community and the outside world on issues developing a love for ecotourism and willing to patronize relating to the site. The community takes part in the decision- same with their families later in life. making process especially with issue pertaining to tourism and making sure that any proposed tourism developments take On the other hand, the place should also be an entertaining place in cognizance of local beliefs, culture and needs. Ghana avenue, where families can come to learn about the history of Tourism Authority was identified as an external stakeholder their forebears during the slave trade and after that, get to that could assist to develop, improve the marketing and relax and treat themselves to some nice meals, drinks and creation of tourism awareness to visitors both within and other forms of relaxation. There could be live performance of outside Ghana. According to the insights from the discussion, some local dance such as Dugu, Bawaa and other forms of the Ghana Tourism Authority would be mandated to organize entertainment that attract people to the community. The training for the management of the site concerning Sankana area already has a dam that serve informally as a ecotourism. Finally, mass media and other NGOs in beach with students from the Simon Diedong University of conjunction can play a critical role to develop the site for Business Studies regularly patronizing it as a beach during the tourism activities. celebration of their students‟ week. It can therefore be

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4.6 Challenges to the Sankana slave caves site. [6] Fleischer, D. I. (2010). Ecotourism: Principles and practices. Tourism Management, 31(4), 556–557. Sankana slave caves site like any other community-based https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2009.07.004 ecotourism site is faced with a number of constraints. There [7] Garraway, J. (2009). “Ecotourism as a means of community development: the case of the indigenous populations of the Greater has been lack of funds from funding agencies and the Caribbean”, Ara: Revista de Investigation en Turismo, Vol. 1 No. government. This has resulted in inadequate facilities at the 2, pp. 11-20. site. Irregular attendance of visitors, language barrier between [8] Ghana Statistical Service (2012). 2010 population & housing the tour guides and tourist (non-English arrivals), census summary report of final results. Ghana, Accra. [9] Ghana Tourism Authority, (2010). Community-based ecotourism accommodation and toilet facilities, lack of signage and and poverty alleviation final report, 1-19, 40-43. environmental degradation at site are some of the challenges [10] Ghosh, N, (2000). Variation of culture in tourism. West Texas the destination is facing. The management of Sankana slave A&M University caves site is making efforts to address these challenges. Local [11] Gillian Wallace and Andrew Russel (2004). Eco-cultural tourism as a means for the sustainable development of culturally marginal dances and story-telling on historic issues about the and environmentally sensitive regions; Sage publications; Vol 4(3) community and site are normally performed to visitors aside 234-254 DOI: 10.1177/ 1468797604057326 from visiting the site. The stakeholders in partnership usually [12] Issifu, A. K., Antwi, S., Kwofie, I., Quarshie, G., & Mustapha, H. organize cleanup campaigns on the site to improve on (2013). Role of parents in promoting girl child education. Project/long essay submitted to the Department of Community sanitation. Finally, the community is willing to establish Development, University for Development Studies, Ghana, Wa. income generating activities in the community to attract [13] Lee and Jan (2019). Can community-based tourism contribute to visitors like pottery, wood carving, calabash art, grass art, sustainable development? Evidence from residents‟ perceptions of smock weaving and many others as identified in the research the sustainability Tourism Management, 70 (2019), pp. 368-380 [14] Nafbek Solomon Kebede and Berhanu Esubalew Bayeh (2017). with their little resources. Alignment of tourism against poverty in Bale eco-region, Dinsho V. CONCLUSION district, Ethiopia. International Journal of Tourism Sciences, VOL. 17, NO. 4, 247–261 Ecotourism is a major contributor to socio-economic [15] UNWTO, (2002). Tourism and poverty alleviation. Madrid- UNWTO. development and can be used as a tool to reduce poverty at the [16] Wall, (1997). Ecotourism is an agent of change (cited in Stone, national, local and rural areas in Ghana. The evolution of M.J, 2002, p.10) community-based ecotourism in Ghana has triggered [17] Wallace, R. (2019). Ecotourism in Asia: How strong branding enormous interest among people and has set a stage for creates opportunity for local economies and the environment. In R. Hashim, M. H. M. Hanafiah, & M. R. Jamaluddin (Eds.), ecotourism development. It has received much attention at the Positioning and branding tourism destinations for global national level due to the positive results it has delivered in competitiveness (pp. 192–211). IGI Global. terms of visitor numbers and revenue generation. This study [18] WTO, (1998). Sustainable tourism is making use of tourism has made contributions to how community ecotourism resources. New York: CAB International-WTO [19] Yesu C. Martinez and Mara R. Banos (2018); Ecotourism as a development can be used as a strategic tool for poverty path to sustainable development in an isolated Magic Town; the alleviation as in the case of Sankana slave caves in the Kaleo- study of La Trampa, Mexico. Nadowli district in the Upper West Region. The enhancement of livelihood through ecotourism income generating activities at the site can be possible through capacity building of locals at Sankana community. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We acknowledge Dr. Raymond Adongo of the University for Development Studies, Department of Ecotourism and Hospitality Management for his contribution to this paper. REFERENCES [1] Ashley, C., D. Rose, and Goodwin (2001). Pro-poor Tourism: Making Tourism Work for the poor. Review of experience. Pro- poor Tourism Report No.1.ODI, IIED, and center for Responsible Tourism, London. [2] Bhatt (2006). Tourism should always preserve the culture. (cited in Adams, A.G ,2003, p.15) [3] Cobbinah, P. B. (2015). Contextualizing the meaning of ecotourism. Tourism Management Perspectives, 16, 179–189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2015.07.015 [4] Coria, J. and Calfucura, E. (2012). “Ecotourism and the development of indigenous communities: the good, the bad, and the ugly”, Ecological Economics, Vol. 73, pp. 47-55. [5] Donohoe, H.M. and Needham, R.D. (2006). “Ecotourism: the evolving contemporary definition”, Journal of Ecotourism, Vol. 5 No. 3, pp. 192-210.

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